Resolving exit status 127: command not found Error for curl in AWS CodeBuild

Learn how to fix the common `exit status 127` error when using `curl` in an AWS CodeBuild project, ensuring your commands run smoothly during your build phase.
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Solving exit status 127: command not found Error for curl in AWS CodeBuild

If you're working on a project in AWS CodeBuild and you've encountered the frustrating exit status 127: command not found error during the post_build phase, you're not alone. This specific error typically indicates that the command you're trying to run— in this case, curl— is not being recognized by the system for some reason, despite it being installed.

In this guide, we'll break down the cause of this issue and provide a step-by-step solution to ensure that your curl commands run successfully within your CodeBuild environment.

Understanding the Issue

What does Exit Status 127 Mean?

The exit status code 127 is an error indicating that the command could not be found. In the context of AWS CodeBuild, this could mean:

The command is not installed properly.

The command is installed but not in a directory that is included in the PATH environment variable.

In your case, you confirmed that curl was installed correctly:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Environment Variables Check

You also checked your PATH variable:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

This indicates that /usr/bin is indeed included in your PATH, which means that the curl command should be recognized.

The Acting Problem

So, what was the issue? It was the way you were executing the command with curl. The command below — which utilizes a pipe — can cause issues in certain environments, and that's where the trouble arose:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Why This Command Failed

When the command is piped this way:

The shell may misinterpret how the command and data are passed through.

The execution environment may not handle the command in the way expected, leading to the curl command being unrecognized.

The Solution

Revised Command Steps

To bypass this issue, you can modify your code to handle the data first, store it in a temporary file, and then point curl at that file:

Create a temporary file to store compressed data.

Write the compressed data to the temporary file.

Execute curl using the temporary file as the data source.

Clean up by removing the temporary file.

Here’s how to implement the fix:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Explanation of Each Step

Creating a Temporary File: The mktemp command generates a unique temporary filename. This ensures that you don’t accidentally encounter conflicts with files already existing in the filesystem.

Data Compression: You pipe your $DATA, compress it with gzip, and direct the output to the temporary file using the > operator.

Using curl: The modified curl command points to the compressed data in the temporary file.

Cleanup: Finally, using rm -rf "$temp" ensures that your environment remains clean by removing files that are no longer needed.

Conclusion

Encountering issues with commands like curl in AWS CodeBuild can be frustrating, especially when they stem from system execution quirks rather than actual command issues. By modifying your data handling and utilizing temporary files, you can avoid the exit status 127 error and ensure that your deployment commands execute smoothly.

If you run into further complications or have additional questions, feel free to reach out in the comments below!